Lhasa Tour

 

 

Lhasa ( simplified pinyin: Lāsà; sometimes spelled Lasa) is the administrative capital of theTibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of 3,490 metres (11,450 ft), Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world. It contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhistsites such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang and Norbulingka palaces.
Lhasa is part of a prefecture, the Lhasa Prefecture, consisting of 7 small counties: Lhünzhub County, Damxung County, Nyêmo County, Qüxü County, Doilungdêqên County, Dagzê
Lhasa literally means "place of the gods". Ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was called Rasa, which either meant "goats' place", or, as a contraction of rawe sa, a "place surrounded by a wall," or 'enclosure', suggesting that the site was originally a hunting preserve within the royal residence on Marpori Hill. Lhasa is first recorded as the name, referring to the area's temple of Jowo, in a treaty drawn up between China and Tibet in 822 C.E.

 

Itinerary (9 days):

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu: Arrival in Kathmandu airport and transfer to hotel.

Day 02: Sightseeing in Kathmandu: Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu via Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Shoyambunath, Kathmandu Durbar Square and evening visit to Thamel area

Day 03: Preparation and Tibet visa procedure day: In this day we will proceed for Tibet visa and also have little shopping for personal equipment at Thamel area necessary for Tibet tour. In evening we will have little briefing for Tibet.

Day 04: Flight to Lhasa: Arrival in Lhasa (sea-level: 3658m) with one and half hours'driving from Lhasa Gonggar Airport Met by your Tibetan guide and transferred to your hotel in Lhasa to be acclimatized to the high altitude.

Day 05: Lhasa: Today's sightseeing: Drak Yerpa about 2.5 hour, and Sera Monastery 2 hour, overnight in Lhasa
Drak Yerpa - a place that has profound significance in the Tibetan spiritual culture. There is a saying goes like this - "Lhasa is the shrine of Tibet, Drak Yerpa is the shrine of Lhasa". It was said that there were originally 108 caves in the Drak Yerpa valley, but now only a dozen of them remain. The site is deeply peaceful and has stunning views. and the cliffs contain some of the earliest known meditation sites in Tibet.
Sera Monastery: Located 5km north of Lhasa, this monastery was the first Gelugpa monastery in Lhasa and has remained the main seat of this major Buddhist order ever since. About 600 monks are now in residence here. Debating takes place from 3:30pm to 5pm in a garden next to the assembly hall in the center of the monastery. There is a fine kora path around the monastery.

Day 06: Lhasa sightseeing: Potola Palace 1 hour & Jokhang Temple 1 hour, overnight in Lhasa:
- The Potala Palace: Potala Palace is perched on the 130m-high Marpo Ri ( Red Hill ) with 13 storeys and more than 1000roms in the middle of Beijing Road, the heart of Lhasa City. It was once the winter residence of the Dalai Lama. The first recorded use of the site dates back to the 7th century AD when King Songtsen Gampo built a palace here. The present construction began during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama 1645. It takes at least 2-hour to visit those rooms, halls and chapels.
- The Jokhang Temple: The 1300-year-old Jokhang Temple is now the spiritual center of Tibet. From earliest dawn to last light, daily worshippers and once-in-a-lifetime pilgrims make the inner circumambulation (kora) of the Jokhang to earn religious merit. Some of them prostrate outside circuiting the temple. The Jokhang Temple is best visited in the early morning. It now houses the life-sized statue of the twelve year-old Sakyamuni brought by Songtsan Gampo's Chinese wife - Princess Wencheng.

Day 07: Flight to Kathmandu: Flight to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel.

Day 08: Rest or final shopping day: In this day we will rest at hotel or have some shopping for memorandom of Nepal and Tibet visit. And at evening we will have dinner all together with Nepalese staffs and members for memory.

Day 09: Final departure to your next destination